Getting back to this topic, Classical Drive recently posted:


Just spent a week in Toronto, the city where I was born and raised and enjoyed many happy years before escaping to the west coast. Subaru Canada kindly loaned me a 2007 Forester 2.5XT to drive and explore (no pun intended). I've always liked the all-wheel-drive Forester, which is marketed as an SUV but in reality is a station wagon on stilts. (That's a compliment, folks.) A fellow journalist, decades younger than me, noted that he could slide in and out of the Forester with ease, which suited his ailing back. My back's fine, thank goodness, but at my age (birthdate deleted) ease of access is a big plus. The XT designation? A turbocharged version of the 2.5 liter flat-four rated at 224 hp with stiffer suspension, leather interior, sunroof, heated seats, etc. The Forester's upright seating position makes it easy to manoeuver and the added power, which comes on smoothly in contrast to some turbos, meant that I could thread through Toronto's dreaded Hwy 401 traffic with impunity. My only complaints were with the firmness of the suspension and the fuel economy. You can avoid both by ordering a non-turbo Forester, a fine vehicle for most needs. Special thanks to Subaru for delivering the media vehicle to the airport; common in the USA but rare in Canada.

Found at: Classical Drive